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Pillbox dating from World War II. It is 6-sided, hexagonal in plan, built of shuttered steel-reinforced concrete, measuring 7.4m by 6.9m and 2.6m high. Five sides are pieced by loopholes, the other on the north-north west has an entrance protected by a blast wall. In the centre of the top is a hexagonal well 92.3m across and 1.6m deep) which once held a central spigot mounting for an anti-aircraft gun. This pillbox is located among the sand dunes, to the west of Aberdeen's Esplanade and is visible from Old Town King's Links Golf course. The term 'pillbox' was first recorded in a 1917 edition of the newspaper The Scotsman and referred to defensive structures in Belgium. During World War Two, following the fall of Norway and Denmark in May 1940 it became apparent that Hitler could launch raids from the Norwegian mainland directly to the east coast of Scotland. Pillboxes formed part of Britain's coastal defences aimed at blocking the progress of an invading army. Of the 28,000 constructed 6,000 still survive, of which 10 are found in Aberdeen. Construction of the pillbox involved pouring concrete into wooden shuttering. The concrete has started to erode showing the bars of steel embedded into the wall. Engineers adopted the use of reinforced concrete aiming to enhance the pillbox's blast resistance and removing the need for expensive armour plating. Today the firing loops and entrance are blocked up with brick and mortar. It also appears that the pillbox has slipped down the embankment to the west as a clear line of sight to the sea is no longer possible.
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